Barack Obama to Lecture Thursday Morning in São Paulo

By Harold Emert

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – One of the most popular U.S. Presidents among Brazilians, Barack Obama, will give a lecture on Thursday morning, May 30th, at 11.30 AM,  in the São Paulo Expo Pavillion, located in the city’s south zone.

This is the third visit to Brazil by the 44th U.S. President (2009 -2017). VIP tickets for R$2,500, “assuring a seat at Obama’s lecture” are reportedly sold out, according to the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. The former President will speak on digital innovations for business, but the exact content of Obama’ s speech has still not been revealed.

The two-day conference’s purpose is to discuss economic and digital negotiations, targeting how Brazilian companies may increase the use of new technology to improve their profits.

Ending on Friday the 31st, the conference is sponsored by Rio’s VTEX Technology, and 15,000 people are expected to attend.

While he was still U.S. President, in March 2011 Obama spoke eloquently before 800 people among the elite of Brazilian society at Rio’s Municipal Theater.

His speech was originally scheduled to be held on the streets of downtown Rio’s Cinelandia but was transferred after threats against Obama on social media.

On this occasion, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, the then President visited the iconic Cristo Redentor statue and the favela Cidade de Deus (“City of God”) and then proceeded to Brasília to meet former President Dilma Rousseff.

In 2017, Obama spoke before the Global Citizen Forum in São Paulo, sponsored by  Santander Bank and Valor Economico newspaper.

An entrance pass called “MULTI” for the VTEX Technology conference this week costs R$690 and allows access to all exhibitions and lectures, but does not guarantee entrance to Obama’s speech.

Paying an additional R$350 for a “FASTPASS” guarantees that those attending the EXPO will not be required to wait in lines, except for Obama’s lecture, should an opening suddenly become available.